CEO: Alice Electric Commuter Airplane’s First Flight Days Away
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Flying Magazine.
The Eviation Alice prototype has certainly been spotted taxiing on the runway and the CEO has said it won’t be long before the first flight.
I have a feeling that this aircraft is going to be a winner.
- It’s got a lightweight structure.
- The aerodynamics look to be right.
- It has received firm orders from quality companies, like Cape Air, DHL and United Airlines.
- It would be the ideal corporate aircraft for the green billionaire who wants a toy!
- It looks sexy like Concorde.
I also think that the range, performance and capacity could fit travel patterns well in the UK and Ireland.
Conclusion
I’m looking forward to my first flight.
Goldman Sachs Invests $250 million In Hydrostor To Advance Compressed Air Energy Storage Projects
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on pv Magazine.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The investment is planned to support development and construction of Hydrostor’s 1.1GW, 8.7GWh of Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage projects that are well underway in California and Australia, and help expand Hydrostor’s project development pipeline globally.
It certainly seems that the big beasts of finance are starting to back innovative energy storage.
Crossrail Pushing Hard For A March Opening Date
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The Crossrail project is pushing hard to open the new Elizabeth line by the end of March, although there is a warning that this could delay some of the later phases of completing the line.
There have been suggestions that the project team is now confident that the latest tests and the works over Christmas to update ventilation and train software systems could see the line open potentially as soon as Sunday 6th March.
Ian’s article mentions nothing about the feel-good factor that the opening would surely bring.
I feel that this is the main reason the line should open as soon as possible.
I also feel, that as the line has been a long time coming, that passenger numbers will ramp up quickly and bring in more revenue than expected. Just look at the way, passengers used the Borders Railway, the Dartmoor Line and the Overground after they opened.
The line certainly needs to be opened before the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
HS2 Reveals Images Of First Landscaped ‘Green Tunnels’ For Bucks And Northants
The title of this post, is the same as this press release from High Speed Two.
This image shows one of the proposed tunnels.
The article explains the design and describes how the tunnels will be built in a factory in Derbyshire and assembled on site.
Off-site concrete construction was used at Custom House station on Crossrail. I wrote about the construction of this station in An Express Station.
The picture shows Custom House station under construction. One of the engineers told me, that the quality of the concrete in the station, is so much better than normal.
Rio Tinto Orders Wabtec FLXdrive Battery Locomotives To Reduce Emissions
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Wabtec.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB) and Rio Tinto announced today an order for four FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives to support sustainable operations of the mining company’s rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The 100-percent, battery-powered locomotive will help Rio Tinto’s effort to achieve a 50-percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030.
Some other points from the press release.
- The locomotives have 7 MWh batteries.
- The first locomotive will be delivered in 2023.
- The FLXdrive is anticipated to reduce the company’s fuel costs and emissions in percentage by double digits per train.
This paragraph describes how the FLXdrive locomotives will be used.
The mining company plans on using the locomotives in multiple applications including as a shunter in the railyard and ultimately in mainline service. In mainline operations, Rio Tinto currently uses three diesel-electric locomotives in a consist to pull trains with 240 cars hauling about 28,000 tons of iron ore. The FLXdrives will transition from the diesel locomotives in mainline service to form a hybrid consist, and recharge during the trip through regenerative braking and at charging stations. Wabtec’s next generation energy-management software system will determine the optimal times to discharge and recharge the batteries along to route ensuring the most fuel-efficient operation of the entire locomotive consist during the trip.
I can see this approach leading to even bigger fuel and emission savings.
Especially, if Wabtec developed a compatible locomotive, that was powered by hydrogen.
This was rumoured in FLXdrive ‘Electrifies’ Pittsburgh, where a partnership between Carnegie-Mellon University (CMU), Genesee & Wyoming and Wabtec to create the Freight Rail Innovation Institute was described.
Conclusion
There certainly seems to be a consensus between some of the world’s largest mining and rail companies about the future of heavy freight trains to support the mining industry.
Drax’s Plans For Cruachan
Cruachan Power Station is a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
- It can generate 440 MW of power.
- It has a storage capacity of 7.1 GWh.
- The power station is owned by Drax.
This Google Map shows the area around the power station.
Note.
- Cruachan Reservoir is the upper reservoir for the power station.
- The River Awe is the lower reservoir.
- The turbines for the power station are in a hollowed-out Ben Cruachan.
- There is a visitor centre, which is two-hundred metres from the Falls of Cruachan station, that can be seen on the map, by the river.
More information on visiting can be found at the Visit Cruachan web site.
This second map shows the Southern part of the Cruachan Reservoir to a larger scale.
Note the strength of the dam.
The Operation Of Cruachan Power Station
Wikipedia says this about the operation of Cruachan power station.
The station is capable of generating 440 megawatts (590,000 hp) of electricity from four turbines, two of 100 megawatts (130,000 hp) and two of 120 megawatts (160,000 hp) capacity, after two units were upgraded in 2005. It can go from standby to full production in two minutes, or thirty seconds if compressed air is used to start the turbines spinning. When the top reservoir is full, Cruachan can operate for 22 hours before the supply of water is exhausted. At full power, the turbines can pump at 167 cubic metres (5,900 cu ft) per second and generate at 200 cubic metres (7,100 cu ft) per second.
What I find surprising, is that they only upgraded two turbines to 120 MW. I would suspect that there was some other factor that stopped all turbines from being upgraded.
So I would be very surprised if Drax upgraded the power of the existing station.
The Wikipedia extract claims that the Cruachan power station can provide power for 22 hours, if the reservoir, which has a capacity of 7.1 GWh is full. A simple calculation gives an average output in 323 MW. Does that indicate an efficiency of 73.4 %, by dividing 323 by 440.
But no pumped storage system of the 1950s is 100 % efficient. The Ffestiniog Power Station, which opened two years before Cruachan has an efficiency of 73 %. , which appears to be in line with the figures for Cruachan.
Cruachan Power Station And Nuclear Power
Wikipedia says this about Cruachan power station and Hunterston A nuclear power station.
Construction began in 1959 to coincide with the Hunterston A nuclear power station in Ayrshire. Cruachan uses cheap off-peak electricity generated at night to pump water to the higher reservoir, which can then be released during the day to provide power as necessary.
Note.
- Hunterston A power station closed in 1990.
- Hunterston B power station closed a few days ago.
- Scotland now only has one nuclear station at Torness.
It looks like the method of operation will have to change.
Cruachan Power Station And Wind Power
The obvious replacement source of energy at night to replace the nuclear power is wind power.
As I write this the UK is generating 8.5 GW of power from wind turbines.
Surely, enough can be diverted to Cruachan to fill the Cruachan Reservoir.
Cruachan 2
Drax’s plans for Cruachan are based around the building of a second underground power station, which is not surprisingly called Cruachan 2. This page on the Drax web site describes Cruachan 2.
- It will be a 600 MW power station.
- It will be to the East of the current power station.
- More than a million tonnes of rock would be excavated to build the power station.
The existing upper reservoir, which can hold 2.4 billion gallons of water, has the capacity to serve both power stations.
I think it is reasonable to assume the following about Cruachan 2.
- Design of the turbines will have improved in the sixty years since the Francis turbines for the original power station were ordered and designed.
- The turbines will now be precisely computer-controlled to optimise the operation of the power station.
- The turbines will have a faster response, than even that of Cruachan 1, which will help to match output to demand.
But most importantly, I suspect that the efficiency will be higher due to improved turbine design.
I can do a simple calculation, where I will assume the following figures for the two power stations.
- Cruachan 1 – 440 MW – Efficiency – 73 % – Full Power – 323 MW
- Cruachan 2 – 600 MW – Efficiency – 80 % – Full Power – 480 MW
It looks to me that 1040 MW can be used to store water in the reservoir and at this rate it would take 6.8 hours to fill the reservoir. With just Cruachan 1 in operation, filling the reservoir would take sixteen hours.
It looks like with moderate winds generating sensible amounts of electricity, it should be possible to fill the reservoir overnight using both Cruachan 1 and Cruachan 2.
When running flat-out, the combined station can generate 803 MW. At that rate it will generate the power for just under nine hours.
The Wikipedia entry for Francis turbines says this.
Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency.
Applying 95 % Efficiency to Cruachan 2 would give the following.
- An output of 570 MW for Cruachan 2.
- A total output of 1010 MW for the combined station.
- This would mean the combined station could deliver 1.01 GW for just over seven hours.
Modern control technology would probably be used to ensure that the output of the combined Cruachan station filled in the gaps between demand and supply.
Could The Size Of Cruachan Reservoir Be Increased?
This would increase the amount of energy stored.
I suspect that it probably can’t be increased, as any increases would have been done by now.
Conclusion
It looks like very good engineering to me.
- There is a good chance, that on most nights, the reservoir will be filled using wind energy
- The maximum output of the Cruachan power station has been more than tripled from 323 to 1010 MW.
- There has been no increase in the size of the Cruachan reservoir.
Scotland will now have a GW-sized hydro-electric power station.
Karlsruhe Kombilösung Tram Tunnels Inaugurated
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on Railway Gazette.
I first came to Karlsruhe to see the tram-trains in 2015 and wrote about them in Exploring Karlsruhe And Its Trams And Tram/Trains.
I couldn’t help notice, that the good citizens of Karlsruhe were digging a tunnel for tram-trains, all the way along their equivalent of Oxford Street.
I said this.
It will certainly be worth returning to Karlsruhe, when the tunnel is complete and the network is expanded.
So now almost seven years after that first visit, the €1·5bn project has been completed and I had better think about returning.
Ikea Cuts Sick Pay For Unvaccinated Staff Forced To Self-Isolate
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on the BBC.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Ikea has cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who need to self-isolate because of Covid exposure and in some cases for workers who test positive.
The article also says that Wessex Water and several major US companies have started penalising unvaccinated workers.
I agree with Ikea’s policy, as in a society, there are some rules that we must follow for the good of everybody.
If people don’t want to be vaccinated, they should either work for a company where everybody is unvaccinated or work at home.
Is A High Capacity Freight Route Being Created On The Midland Main Line?
In the January 2022 Edition of Modern Railways, there is a section, which is entitled Mixed Fortunes For Freight In IRP, where IRP is short for Integrated Rail Plan For The North And Midlands.
In the section, this is said about freight on the Midland Main Line.
Whilst HS2 does relieve the MML, electrification of the route north from Kettering via Derby to Sheffield is of relatively limited use to freight, which is generally routed via Corby and Toton to Chesterfield and Rotherham. That said, assuming electrification of the passenger route includes the slow lines from Leicester to Trent and through Chesterfield, it does provide a base on which freight electrification can be built.
This would involve wiring Corby to Syston Junction (north of Leicester), Trent Junction to Clay Cross (south of Chesterfield) and Tapton Junction (north of Chesterfield) to Rotherham Masborough and Doncaster.
As with the ECML, this ‘freight’ electrification would provide a diversionary route and thus greater resilience for East Midlands Railway services.
In addition, gauge clearance throughout from Corby as part of this package would also be highly beneficial in creating a direct route from the ‘Golden Triangle of Logistics’ in the East Midlands to the North East and Scotland for consumer goods supply chains, boosting modal shift to rail and decarbonisation.
It does seem to be a cunning plan worthy of Baldrick at his best.
So is it feasible?
Which Routes Do Freight Trains Use Now?
Christmas in a pandemic, is not a particularly good time to look at the routes freight trains take.
But by looking at Real Time Trains, I can say this.
- Many trains take the route via Corby and Syston Junction, rather than the direct route via Market Harborough and Leicester.
- Leicester is quite busy with freight as trains between Felixstowe and places on the West Coast Main Line, go through the station.
- Very few freight trains seem to take the route via Derby and the Derwent Valley Mills.
- Most freight trains between East Midlands Parkway and Chesterfield seem to take the Erewash Valley Line via Toton and Ilkeston.
I don’t think the pattern will change much, if I look at the trains around the end of January.
What Do I Mean By European-Size Freight Trains?
The Wikipedia entry for loading gauge says this about about the route through the Channel Tunnel and up the Midland Main Line.
UIC GC: Channel Tunnel and Channel Tunnel Rail Link to London; with proposals to enable GB+ northwards from London via an upgraded Midland Main Line.
Note.
- . GC is 3.15 metres wide by 4.65 metres high.
- GB+ is 3.15 metres wide by 4.32 metres high.
- GB+ is intended to be a pan-European standard, that allows piggy-back services.
- British gauging is so complicated, it isn’t specified in standard units. It must be a nightmare for rolling stock designers.
I’ll take an easy way out and assume that by European-Size Freight Trains, I mean that the route must be cleared for GB+ gauge.
Could Kettering and Syston Junction Via Corby Be Cleared For European-Size Freight Trains?
According to a Network Rail Map from February 2010, the current clearance is as follows.
- Kettering and Oakham – W7
- Oakham and Syston Junction – W8
Note.
- Oakham and Peterborough is also W8
- The main problem seems to be that between Corby and Oakham, there are five tunnels; Corby, Glaston, Manton, Seaton and Wing.
- There are also a few overbridges and several level crossings, but they don’t look too challenging.
- Between Corby and Oakham, there is the magnificent Welland viaduct, which has eighty-two arches and is Grade II Listed.
- Ideally, freight operators would like to run European gauge piggy-back services, with road trailers travelling on flat wagons, as they do in CargoBeamer services.
It would be a tough call to satisfy my last point, but if it can be done it would allow all Midland Main Line freight trains to take the Corby diversion and this would remove the problems of running European gauge trains through Leicester station.
This Google Map shows a section of the Welland viaduct.
It could be key, as it is fully double-track.
But could it support two heavy freight trains at the same time?
But it would be some sight to see, long European-sized freight trains running over the viaduct.
Could The Midland Main Line Between Syston And Trent Junctions Be Cleared For European-Size Freight Trains?
The route is cleared to W7 or W8 between the two junctions and on inspection with my virtual helicopter, I suspect it wouldn’t be that challenging to upgrade.
It would also be sensible to clear the Castle Donnington Line for European-size freight trains, so that they could reach the East Midlands Gateway freight terminal.
This Google Map shows the location of the East Midlands Gateway.
Note.
- East Midlands Parkway station is marked by the red arrow in the North-East corner of the map.
- Castle Donnington circuit is in the South West corner of the map.
- The long East-West runway of East Midlands Airport is clearly visible.
- East Midlands Gateway is to the North of the airport.
This second Google Map shows East Midlands Gateway in more detail.
Note.
- In the North-East corner is Maritime Transport’s rail freight terminal.
- The M1 runs North-South at the Eastern edge of the map.
- East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park with two Amazon sheds is in the middle.
- The runway at East Midlands Airport is clearly visible.
The Integrated Rail Plan for the North And Midlands has already announced that High Speed Two will join the Midland Main Line to the South of East Midlands Parkway station to serve Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
- This new line will have to go past the airport, either to the North of the Logistics Park or South of the Airport.
- Could there be a station here, both for passengers and the workers at a very busy freight airport and Logistics Park?
- Currently, trains between the rail terminal and London, London Gateway and the Port of Felixstowe have to reverse North of the rail terminal to access the terminal.
- All the rail links between the Midland Main Line and East Midlands Gateway would need to be built to accept European-size freight trains, to ensure maximum flexibility.
It strikes me, that there are a lot of extra features that could be added to the rail network between the Midland Main Line and East Midlands Gateway.
Could The Erewash Valley Line Via Ilkeston Be Cleared For European-Size Freight Trains?
Consider.
- According to a Network Rail Map from February 2010, the Erewash Valley Line is cleared to W8.
- According to Wikipedia, it is the second busiest freight route in the East Midlands.
- Network Rail have spent £250 million on the line in recent years to improve junctions and improve signalling.
- The route doesn’t have a large number of passenger services.
These pictures show Ilkeston station on the Erewash Valley Line.
Note.
- The recently rebuilt bridge and the separate avoiding line.
- The Class 158 train under the bridge is 3.81 metres high.
As the European gauge; GB+ is 4.32 metres high, I would feel that Ilkeston station can handle European-size freight trains.
I have flown my virtual helicopter all the way over the Erewash Valley Line from Toton to Clay Cross North junction.
- It looks as if most of the not many bridges are either recent or could be updated to handle the large European-sized freight trains.
- It should also be noted that in many places there is a third track or space for them.
- There are three stations and the Alfreton tunnel.
After this quick look, I feel that the Erewash Valley Line will be able to handle European-size freight trains.
Could Tapton Junction to Rotherham Masborough and Doncaster Be Cleared For European-Size Freight Trains?
This route has very few bridges and I doubt updating wouldn’t cause too many problems.
CargoBeamer
Would it be possible for one of CargoBeamer’s piggy-back trains carrying trailers to run between the Channel Tunnel and the rail terminal at East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park or perhaps another terminal further up the Midland Main Line?
If they could use the Gospel Oak and Barking Line to access the Midland Main Line, I don’t see why not!
Conclusion
It appears that it should be possible to allow European-size freight trains to run between the North of England and the Channel Tunnel.
Prevalence Of Celiac Disease Among Blood Donors in SÃO PAULO – The Most Populated City In Brazil
The title of this post, is the same as that of this scientific paper from Brazil.
I am posting, so I can find the paper when I need it.
I will only point out one sentence.
Furthermore, an increase in the ingestion of wheat in the country in recent decades may have favored the increase in CD in our society.
I wonder if this statement can be confirmed, as this could explain the increase in coeliac disease in some countries.
The Anonymous Widower 